Red
by selenehekate
Summary: FFIdol Round 1: He was friendless as a child, until he met Mary Williams. Even after he left for Hogwarts, he still kept in touch with her until one day, everything changed... TomxOC; Oneshot


He was only six when he met her.

The winter cold was beating against his face, and the tiny coat he'd worn was barely big enough to cover his malnourished frame. He couldn't help but cringe as the people rushed past him, paying no mind to the poor orphaned boy left wandering the streets on Christmas Eve.

As the wind picked up once more, he stumbled, falling against a large brick building. He panted, clutching his chest, and he felt a small tap on the back. He turned, his eyes meeting those of a small redhead with curly hair.

Giving him a sly smile, she spoke. "Excuse me, but you dropped something." She held out her hand to him, a large warm bun in her gloved grasp.

It had been ages since he had seen such a treat, and just the sight of it made him salivate. But it wasn't his. With a sigh, he shook his head, his eyes never leaving the food before him. "I'm sorry, miss," he said slowly. "That's not mine."

"Of course it is," she insisted, trying to shove it into his hand.

He shook his head again. "No, it isn't-"

"How old are you?" she interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

He was taken aback by the apparent non-sequitur. "Six, miss."

"Well, I'm eight," she asserted, her voice taking on a rather haughty tone. "I'm much older than you. That means that I _have_ to be right, because I _obviously_ know more. And I'm telling you that this is yours. Understand?"

He didn't, of course. But he was in no position to argue; the meal before him was too tempting. Swallowing, he quickly nodded before snatching the food away from her. "Um, thank you," he said, remembering his manners, before he took a big bite. "What's your name?" he asked, as he shoved the bun into his mouth.

That sly smile once again slipped onto the girl's face. "I'm Mary," she said. "Mary Williams."

* * *

The two of them quickly became fairly close. She became the only person that he could talk to, the only friend that he had. Tom's life in the orphanage was made significantly better by the time he spent with Mary. Though it still wasn't perfect by any means...

"They're all stupid," he ranted, pacing up and down outside of the florist shop where Mary worked. He was nine, and after spending his entire life living in an orphanage, he couldn't help but scowl at the world around him. "I hate them all! They're so _stupid_!"

"Well aren't you just pleasant this afternoon," Mary said with a roll of her eyes. She leaned against the doorframe, resting her broom handle against her chest.

"I'm so much better than them! So much smarter, so much better-"

"Oh, stop it, Tom," Mary interjected, poking at him with her broom. "You're being ridiculous."

"Am not! How would you feel if you were stuck all day with a group of people that you were s... you were s... Mary-"

"Superior," she said flatly.

"Yes! Superior. I'm superior to them all!"

Mary sighed, shaking her head. "It's thinking like that, Tom, that's causing problems in Germany right now."

He frowned, glancing up at her. "What do you mean?"

"Surely you've heard what's going on?"

"Mary, I live in a bloody orphanage- Ow!"

"Language," Mary snapped, hitting him with her broom. "So you don't know?"

"Know _what_?"

"Well... I'm not really too sure if it's anything... It's just..."

"_What_?"

"My Aunt Yolanda is living in Germany. The big city. Ooh, what's it called?"

He threw his hands in the air. "How would I know?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well I overheard her talking to my mum a few weeks back when she was visiting. Apparently, a bunch of Jewish people were thrown out of her city last month. Because the Germans think they are _superior _to them."

"So?"

"So? So that's wrong, Tom! How would you like to be thrown out of your home?"

"What home? Honestly, Mary. It would be a relief."

"But it's not fair! That shouldn't happen!"

"It doesn't sound like a bad idea to me."

"Tom!"

"No, stop hitting me!" He stepped away from her, a glare on his face. "Not the Jews, Mary. They can stay. Just all of the _stupid_ people. Think about it. If they all leave London, we would be so much better off. It would be the two of us, and other people worthy of associating with us, Mary. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Not really."

"Why not? You wouldn't have to work in the shop anymore. You'd no longer have to work with people you don't like. You'd no longer have to be wary of the drunken beggars. If I can get rid of all of the stupid people, I can protect you, see?"

But she just shook her head. "Mad," she said slowly. "You're mad."

* * *

Once Dumbledore had found him, however, once the world was explained to him, he finally understood. He was a wizard. That's why he was so special. That's why he had been so sure that he was superior to everyone else.

It was because he _was_ superior.

He couldn't tell her, though. He didn't want to frighten her, to scare her off. He didn't want her to know that he was better than her by blood. He didn't want their friendship to end. So he lied to her.

"I got into a really prestigious boarding school," he told her simply. "So I won't see you for awhile."

"Really? Oh, Tom that's great!" Mary exclaimed, leaning against the door to the flower shop. Her bright red hair was done up in a neat bun, and she wiped the sweat from her brow as she spoke. "I can't believe it. That's incredible."

"It is," he agreed.

"Look at that," she said with a laugh. "You'll finally get away from all of the stupid people. Just what you wanted. Never have to be around them again."

"I'll be back, though," he said quickly. "Over the summer. So, don't-"

"Stop worrying about me," she said, her voice hardening. "Tom, this is your chance _out_ of this miserable life. Take it. I'll be fine. If your new friends want to see you over the summer-"

"I'll be back," he said. "Don't worry."

* * *

He was true to his word, and eagerly spent the summer with her from there on out. They would talk for hours on end; he'd help her in the shop and she'd lead him around town. They'd have a grand time, just the two of them, and he couldn't help but be happy.

The summer after his second year, however, everything changed.

"Mary? Mary, are you in here?" he called out, stepping into the florist shop one Saturday afternoon. He heard some muffled voices from the back. Raising an eyebrow, he called out again. "Mary?"

A sharp _crash_ sounded from the back room, and with a jolt, he sprinted through the doorway, hurrying through to say Mary laying facedown on the floor, a giant, muggle man leaning over her.

A snarl ripped from his chest, and he leapt at the pair. "Get _off_!" he shouted, pushing at the man. The man spun around, giving him a glare as he pulled back his fist. But before he could land the punch, there was a loud _crack_, and in his place, a small, blue songbird fluttered, flapping its wings in surprise before it fell to the floor, dead.

_Merlin_, he thought wryly as he glared at the carcass before him. _I've got to watch my magic._

Leaning down, he brushed Mary's mussed red hair from her neck. He rolled her over, gently taking her head in his hand as he tried to rouse her. "Mary? Mary, are you all right? Mary?"

She gave a low moan, rubbing at her eyes as she blinked, looking around the room. "Where..." Her eyes widened, and Tom was alarmed to see fear in them. "Where's Rodrigo?"

He was taken aback. _That_ certainly wasn't what he thought she'd say. "Who?"

"Rodrigo. He bought the shop. I..." she looked up at him, her eyes tight with worry, and that was when he knew.

Anger filled him as he stared down at the girl in his arms. "That was your _boss_?"

"Tom-"

"How long has he been hurting you like this?" he demanded.

"Just... If he comes back, he'll blame me-"

"He won't bother you again, Mary," he said firmly. "How long-"

"Please," she said, tears filling her eyes. "I couldn't stop... You have to... Tom-" She broke down, a sob ripping from her chest as she cried, burying her face in his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. "Shh," he whispered into her red hair. "It's all right. He's gone. He shan't bother you again."

As he sat there, cradling the girl in his arms, his mind raced. _Maybe it's not the stupid people who should be exiled_, Tom thought, anger stewing inside him. _Maybe it's just the stupid, evil muggles._

* * *

"This is ridiculous! You're going to miss your train," Mary said with a sharp laugh. It was the end of the summer, and Tom was on his way back to school.

"Well, I can hardly leave without saying good-bye, now can I?" he answered, raising an eyebrow. "You might just miss me, then"

"Oh, right. _I'll_ miss _you_," she teased with a roll of her eyes.

"It's almost a whole year with you away from me. Whatever will you do?"

"You don't have to keep coming back, you know," she pointed out in all seriousness. "If you get an offer over the summer that you just can't refuse-"

"Don't talk like that," he interrupted. "I'm coming back. I'll always come back for you, Mary," he said, taking her hand in his. "No matter what, I'll always come back for you."

* * *

When he came back the next summer, though, he couldn't find her. She wasn't at the corner where they'd always meet. She wasn't at the bakery where she'd always take him. She wasn't at the flat where she'd lived. She was no where.

Concerned, he hurried over to the flower shop, hoping against hope that he'd see her red hair, and she'd be there, waiting for him. But what he found wasn't Mary waiting for him at the door with a smile on her face and a broom in her hand. No, what laid before him was a pile of rubble.

The shop was gone, completely demolished, as were a few other buildings nearby. People were sifting through the rocks, looking for valuables. He just stood there, staring, as fear rose within him. _No,_ he thought to himself. _It can't be..._

"Excuse me," he called out, gripping the arm of one of the people going through the destruction. "What... What happened here?"

The man laughed, a harsh sarcasm in his voice. "What do ya mean what 'appened here? The bloody _Germans_ 'appened here."

He was taken aback; his eyes went wide. "The _Germans_? Why would they want to destroy a flower shop?"

"The want ta destroy anyfing and everyfing that's different from 'em," the man said, shaking his head. "The Jews, the Gypsies, the Londoners... If you aren't German, they'll come to get you."

"That's not true," another man stepped in, taking up the argument. "They only want to kill the _Jews._ Not us. Once the Jews are gone, we'll be safe-"

"That's just what they want you ta fink," the first man said, shaking his head. "Once the Jews are gone. We'll be next."

"No, we-"

"I don't bloody care!" Tom interrupted, snapping their attentions back to him. "What I want to know is what happened to Mary Williams."

"Who?"

"Mary. Mary Williams... You don't know her?" he asked, his voice rising higher in desperation.

"Sorry, lad. Not a clue."

"Excuse me. But I... You mean Mary Williams with the red hair?"

"Yes, that's her!" Hope flooded through him as he turned towards the sound of the voice. A small child stood before him, clutching at his hat, his eyes downcast. "Have you seen her?" he asked, leaning down.

"I knew her."

Tom swallowed, his eyes widening. "What do you mean you _knew_ her."

"She's dead, sir. She got caught in the blast. She died right where we're standing now."

* * *

The irony of the situation amused him.

He supposed that was _why_ he initially began his pursuit of purging the world of muggles. To think that his pure, unadulterated hatred for them came from the death of Mary... That she died as a result of attempted muggle genocide...

Well he'd show them how it was _really_ done. If the Germans were so interested in genocide, in killing _his_ Mary, then he'd give them genocide. He'd kill all of the Germans, all of the bloody muggles! Their deaths would be an ironic twist of fate, but they'd also be revenge.

And he'd do it all for her.

* * *

Years later, everyone had assumed that he'd planned on making his final Horcrux with Harry, but that wasn't true. It was always Lily. Lily Potter, with her flowing red hair. Lily Potter, with her light laugh. Lily Potter, who looked so much like his Mary...

Why should James Potter be happy? Why should he get to wake up to see her smile, her red hair? Why was he so special? _I'm superior_, Tom thought. _Not _Potter.

"Not Harry! Please, not Harry!" she pleaded, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Stand aside," he hissed. The boy would die first. Then he'd kill her, the one who looked so much like his Mary.

"No, not Harry. Please! Take me. Kill me instead!"

"Stand aside!"

"No! Kill me instead!"

His eyes met hers, and for a moment, a glimmer of remorse trickled through him. So much like Mary... And then it was over. "_Avada Kedavra._"

* * *

First off, happy birthday to my boyfriend! This is for you, love!

This was written for the Fanfiction Idol Round 1! Please review and tell me what you think, and (more importantly) vote for me! ...I feel incredibly weird saying that... Anyway, the prompt was the Riddle Era, and I've never written that before. I hope I did it justice!

Please review! Reviews make me happy!

-Selene


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